Dani's Top 5 At Home Workout Moves

While everyone is working from home, I’ve been wanting to stay in shape and stay sane! I’ve learned that working out doesn’t have to be too complicated and can be done in whatever space you have. Here are a few of my favorite workout moves to do at home!

1.     SQUATS: Start by placing your feet slightly wider than shoulders and keep knees from collapsing inward.  Sit back as if you’re sitting back into a chair.  Squat down as far comfortable and then come back up to standing.  Jumping, slow, and fast squats are all some of the best glute, full body, and cardio exercises every person can do at home. If you’re new to squats a very simple method is start with ten per day and add five to ten every day for 30 days. Jumping squats will get your heart rate up for a good cardio session while easing your muscles, ligaments, and tendons into dynamic movement. Once you’ve warmed up with jumping squats, do a few squats down slow – up fast, then finish with normal squats until you feel a good burn.

2.     LUNGES: Lunges are the best glute exercises you can do anywhere. Just like squats, you have variations you can do to target all muscle fibers. Jumping lunges, forward lunges, reverse lunges, and walking lunges. You want to make sure your forward knee is never over your heel.  Always use your forward leg to drive your heel into the ground, and squeeze your backside to stand.

3.     CRUNCHES WITH LEG LIFTS: Upper and Lower core work are great in tandem to build good balance, strong abdominal muscles, and summer body toning. Start with crutches by lying on your back, knees bent, feet on ground, finger tips touching your ears, pressing lower back into the ground, lift your chest to the sky. Next for lower abs you will keep both legs straight and together lifting legs from six inches off the ground to the sky.  Lift your backside off the ground, lower legs to six inches and repeat.

4.     RUSSIAN TWIST: This movement also targets the side muscles of the core, or oblique muscles.  Sitting with your knees slightly bent, lift your feet off the ground three to six inches hovering.  While holding a small ball or any object between both hands you’ll twist side to side tapping your object to the ground on your left side, then right side, and repeat. Only count one side for your reps.

5.     PLANK: Finally, we’re going to bring this full body workout together with a one minute plank. This is one of the most difficult exercises you will ever do and one the the best for your core, balance, shoulders, back, and mental strength, as simple as this seems. Start your phone timer under your face for accurate accountability. Now just get on the ground as if you are going to do a push up… and that’s it.  Hold that position.  Just try and picture that you’re pushing the floor away from you while keeping your belly and spine straight and strong.  You can do this!  Over time you can increase your time, but never less than one minute. If you are not quite to a minute when you begin drop to your knees to finish the minute, never quit, this will build your strength for the next time. “A plank a day will keep the muffin top away.”

Sample Workout:

Round One:

Jumping Squats x 10 reps

Forward Lunges x 20 reps

Crunches x 30

Russian Twist x 30

Round Two:

Squats (slow down, up fast) x 10

Reverse Lunges x 20 reps

Leg Lifts x 20

Russian Twists x 50

Round Three:

Squats (normal) x 30

Jumping Lunges x 20

         Plank 1 minute

Let me know if you tried this workout and reach out if you ever want a buddy!